It is a well-known fact that Sarko’s new wife, Carla, is left-leaning. Since coming to power, determined to take France in a rightward direction, it is very noticeable that Sarko’s policies keep lurching to the left. One is therefore left asking the question: Are Sarko’s policies now being forged in the boudoir? In other words, is he allowing his head to be ruled by his nether regions? – ©Mark
THE SUNDAY TIMES: FEARS of an explosion of violence on New Year’s Eve have forced President Nicolas Sarkozy to abandon an education reform that was considered one of the cornerstones of his government’s programme after it prompted angry protests from students.
Sarkozy, 53, has often mocked his predecessors for backtracking on reforms after street protests. His volte-face last week after noisy demonstrations by schoolchildren exposed him to ridicule as well as baffling his supporters.
It emerged that Sarkozy feared the protests would spill over into Christmas and the new year, spiralling into a dangerous Europe-wide student uprising inspired by the scenes of mayhem in Greece, where protests continued last week.
“We don’t want a European May ’68 in the middle of Christmas,” Sarkozy told his ministers in a reference to protests four decades ago that led to the collapse of General Charles de Gaulle’s government in 1969.
Sarkozy also worries that celebrations on New Year’s Eve could erupt into rioting similar to the disturbances that set immigrant suburbs ablaze in France three years ago.
“Things are heating up everywhere in Europe, in Greece, but also in Spain, Italy and even in France. The slogan of the Greek students about ‘the €600 generation’ could easily catch on here,” he said, referring to complaints by Greek students about being unable to find jobs paying more than €600 (£557) a month.
The backsliding on reforms is part of a wider shift by “Sarko” since the global financial crisis resurrected lingering French doubts about capitalism. Having come to power on a platform of “work more to earn more”, the hyperactive French leader has lurched leftwards now that even America has lost some of its appetite for the free market. Sarkozy Drops Reform amid Fears of Riots >>> Matthew Campbell | Sunday, December 21, 2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
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